Fire, Fire

Smoke rose into the night sky blending in with the dark clouds. Valerie stood outside her house watching the dark sign of disaster rise. Sirens rent the air; the fire trucks passed the house and went down the street, toward Kendra’s street. Valerie jumped up from the porch and ran after the trucks, praying as she ran.

Kendra and her family stood outside her house watching their house burn. “Kendra! Kendra!” shouted Valerie. Kendra turned and ran into Valerie’s arms. She hugged her as Kendra sobbed into her shirt. As Valerie watched the blaze a sudden horrible thought came to mind. She seized Kendra and turned had her face her. “Kendra, where’s Maso?” Kendra shook and nodded toward the house. “He’s in the house. The fire fighters can’t get inside. He’s t-trapped in there.” She dissolved into tears again and leaned against Valerie. Valerie stared horrified at the blazing house.  The fire fighters tried to get nearer the quickly collapsing building, but the fire wouldn’t allow them to. Maso was in that collapsing building. He would die, if he already weren’t dead. And no one would do anything…

“Stay here,” Valerie told Kendra and she ran forward.

“Valerie, wait! Valerie no!” Kendra yelled after her. “Ma’am, ma’am stop.” A fire fighter said. “Outta my way!” Valerie shouted and pushed the authorities roughly aside and raced into the inferno.

The house was a world of heat and darkness. Red and orange tongues licked the walls and furniture. Broken glass and wood littered the floor. Part of the ceiling collapsed at Valerie’s feet as she picked her way through the house.

Valerie found her way to the back bedrooms. “Maso!” she called and immediately began to cough. “Maso!” she called again. “Valerie?!” came Maso’s voice. It was very weak. “Hold on!” she called back. “No, get out! Get out now!” he said. She found him lying on the floor with a broken leg. He was breathing irregularly. “Valerie…you dumb ass.” He said. “Don’t try sweet talking me.” She replied as she tried lifting him up. “No, leave me here and get out now, Val.” “You really think I’m going to let you die here? No. Now you’re coming with me.” “You’ll die too!” “Then you won’t die alone. Now help me support you with your good leg.” He struggled. “No!” “Maso, I swear do not make me!” “Leave me here, Valerie. Go now!” SMACK! Valerie punched Maso across the head. He passed out. Valerie lifted him up as much as she could and half carried, half drug him out of the room. She picked her way carefully across the house. It was a hard task. A few times she had to stop to catch her breath. It was so hard to breathe and the house kept falling apart. Sometimes she had to drop Mason and cover him as wood fell around them.  Soon she began to hear voices again. Water sprinkled down around them. “We’re almost there, Maso. You’re almost safe.” Valerie tried to speed up but the rubble slowed her down. It seemed like an eternity before the front door  came into sight. But the flames trapped them from the leaving that way. The only way out was through the living room window. She sighed heavily. She could hardly walk anymore. Her lungs were so full of smoke and her eyes burned. She prayed Maso was still alive. It was the only way out. She had to.

Valerie stopped and shuffled Maso onto her back. She was bent almost double under his weight. “One..two..Get ready, Maso…THREE!”

She hurtled through the house as it fell down around them and leaped through the window. She landed on her face in the grass atop some burning glass and wood. Maso rolled off her back beside her. He was breathing, shallow, but he was breathing. “She’s out! And she has the boy!” Maso was lifted up off the ground. “Maso! Oh my God Maso!” came Kendra’s voice. “Get him in the ambulance, now!”

Through her heavy eyelids Valerie watched as Maso was lifted into the ambulance and Kendra jump up behind him. She smiled and passed out.



Valerie woke to a bright light and two blurry familiar faces.

“Valerie, you dumb ass.” Said Mason.

Valerie smiled and tied t sit up. “No, don’t move.” Kendra said, “The doctor is afraid you will muss your bandages.”

Valerie looked herself over and she saw that she was indeed covered in white cloth. “Well, damn.” Valerie said. “That was the stupidest, most dramatic, most dangerous thing you have ever done.” Kendra informed her. “Well thank you, Kendra.” Valerie said. “No, thank you.” Maso said. Valerie shrugged. “It was nothing.” Valerie said. Kendra and Maso exchanged looks. “Nothing?” Kendra said. “You, my dear girl, ran into a burning house that trained fire fighters wouldn’t venture in, dragged my boyfriend out, and jumped through a window to save him. That was not nothing.” “That was stupid, and reckless, and brave, and dumb ass like, and possibly illegal, and” “Ok, ok I get it, Maso.” Valerie said. “Bottom line is, thank you, Valerie.” Kendra said. “Yeah, despite all the dumb assness, thank you so much, Valerie.” Maso said.

Valerie smiled at her two friends broadly. “You’re very welcome, guys. Very welcome.”